Tom Cruise pays the price for believing in and promoting nonsense
June 26, 2007 by William K. Wolfrum
If there is one thing that the Germans have learned over the years, it’s that pseudoscience and aggressively nonsensical cults can be dangerous.
So Tom Cruise needs to go elsewhere to make a movie about Hitler.
Scientology cited for barring Cruise production
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) — Germany has barred the makers of a movie about a plot to kill Adolf Hitler from filming at German military sites because its star Tom Cruise is a Scientologist, the Defense Ministry said on Monday.
Cruise, also one of the film’s producers, is a member of the Church of Scientology which the German government does not recognize as a church. Berlin says it masquerades as a religion to make money, a charge Scientology leaders reject.
The decision drew a sharp response from Cruise’s film producing partner, Paula Wagner, chief executive of United Artists Entertainment, who said Cruise’s “personal beliefs have absolutely no bearing on the movie’s plot, themes or content.”
Bravo to Germany. Just because a bunch of celebrities have been taken in by L. Ron Hubbard’s silly sci-fi ponzi scheme doesn’t mean governments need to just accept that it’s a religion.
–WKW
Fuck to Germany. Since when do they give life and religious lessons?
and oh, the Christians military?
WTF?
you sucks; welcome in the IV Reich.
I agree that a cult sould not be considered a religion, especially if it is aimed at taking advantage of its followers. However, I don´t think Tom Cuise´s beliefs (no matter how stupid they are) should be the reason for him not being allowed to make a film about hitler. I would see the point of the german goverment if the movie was about religion or scientology.
I am no fan of Scientology — in my opinion, it is a cult — I have seen it do some very strange things to friends (who, thankfully, got out of it before their brains turned to mush).
However, I think that prohibiting Tom Cruise from shooting based solely on his “religious” beliefs (whether you agree that it is a religion or not), is a very slippery slope.
I realize that I simply do not have enough information about the situation to put together an informed opinion — is the film bank-rolled by Scientology? Are all of the producers Scientologists? Is the subject-matter focused on Scientology? (I realize that this could be a possibility, either subtle or overt, having read their materials, and seen how they work.) Does the German military have a policy about who they do and do not allow to film at their sites, and if so, is it consistent as to the matter of cults, and whether they would exclude a company from filming based on the level of influence of a cult-member in the production line?
Would they, for example, allow Mel Gibson to film, even though he is a witnessed anti-semite?
I get pretty weirded out when governments start making policy based on judgments about what is, or is not, a “religion” — because my religion could be next. I don’t want to applaud any action that is taken outside the rule of law.
It’s hard for me to post this, because I don’t like Scientology, and see it as a corporate scheme . . . but, sauce for the goose, as they say.
How dare you question me at my blog!!!!!!!
JK, of course. I have a stunning reply in my head, but it’s late and my brain is a bit mushy now. But I will try and explain myself more tomorrow either here or in a follow-up post, TPD.
And thanks for the comment.
Bill
[...] As you all know, Authoritarians, like Scientologists, are a growing menace in the United States. And while studies show that just one in four in the U.S. would eagerly bow down to a dictator, this fringe group has proven over and over again to be incredibly destructive and demoralizing to the nation. [...]